If Taylor Shows Up Again Just So Tim Can Do A Scene Direct From Fanfiction In Which Buck Is Like "oh

My thoughts on the episode:

• ⁠I’m so angry that Eddie wasn’t there, whether Bobby’s death is real or a fake-out. He’s a main character who’s been so sidelined it’s insulting, an integral part of the 118, and maybe the character most similar to Bobby himself, with their connection to Buck, their Catholic upbringing, being both widowers and having PTSD/PTSD-type issues.

• ⁠For real. They could’ve shown Buck answering Eddie’s videocall and Eddie immediately understanding that something went wrong from Buck’s devastation. It would’ve taken one minute at most and said so much. But no.

• ⁠I’M NOT A BIOTERRORIST. But if I was one, I would have FOUR doses ready: two of the superstrain and two of the antidote. a. 1 superstrain to unleash onto the world, b. 1 antidote to use on myself in case I catch the superstrain, and c. 1 dose of superstrain and 1 dose of antidote to sell to Big Pharma for millions so they develop both the antidote and a vaccine. But I guess crazy clouds your mind.

• ⁠They could’ve just escorted Moira out of the building before she had the chance to do anything.

• ⁠So Bobby caught the illness from a tiny tear in his breathing system but Hen didn’t catch it from having HER CHEST CUT OPEN AND INTUBATED??? Ok

• ⁠THEY COULDN’T HAVE TRIED A HAIL MARY OF DOING A TRANSFUSION OF CHIM’S NEWLY CURED BLOOD TO BOBBY? If he was gonna die anyway, couldn’t it have been tried?

• ⁠I guess Athena now will have to pretend she didn’t just try to kick her children out of the house.

• ⁠Also, how will Athena stay connected to the rest of the cast?

• ⁠If Bobby’s death is real, it’s a terrible decision on Tim Minear’s part. 9-1-1 is comfort TV, and striked gold with the cast from season 2, but now they’re messing with the formula. The GA watches mainly for Athena and Bobby (who’s now dead) and the fandom watches mainly for Buck and Eddie (who’s being sidelined). It’s a New Coke situation - if there’s a moment for executive meddling on ABC’s part, this is it.

i need a sort of reverse 8x09 where when eddie gets back from texas, (maybe all figured out, or maybe not, but some kind of realisation happened there) buck is all ready to start searching for new apartments so he doesn’t crowd the diaz house (even though they definitely don’t see it that way) and eddie keeps finding increasingly ridiculous reasons for buck not to leave, and even starts sabotaging buck’s apartment viewing in order to get him to stay with him and chris.

Post-Episode 8x10 Buddie Thoughts

"You matter to me" Ugh just tell him you love him pleaseeee

That hug did not feel platonic in any way. I'll have to go back and watch it later, but the closeup focus on their faces before they pull away feels so much more significant in a way their previous hugs have not.

The awkwardness with which they interacted with each other as well can only be described as "how people act around their crush, nervous af"

Buck was so fucking awkward I love that dork. He does not know how to act normal about his feelings. He has to know, right??? The final shot of him as Eddie drives away feels like a revelation

I NEED TO KNOW IF EDDIE LEFT THE COUCH TO BUCK

Okay btw the parallels between someone who's lost literally their voice and Eddie who's lost his voice when it comes to parenting his kid and doing what he wants... yeah...

8x06 / 8x09

Further thoughts on Buddie following episodes 8x11.

I'm speculating here, but I think this episode was about setting up a coherent and satisfying narrative around Buck and Eddie's feelings for each other. Look. Buck's recently figured out he's bisexual. If he's going to end up dating Eddie, Eddie needs to come out too. But how do you get two main characters to come out as queer when they've only ever dated women before? That's a wildly convenient coincidence.

(Audiences hate convenient coincidences.)

Now Buck is insisting he's not interested in Eddie. Why isn't he interested in Eddie? Well, Eddie's straight. Okay, that's not really an answer. But it doesn't matter! Because Eddie's straight! Why does everyone think he's in love with his best friend? His best friend is straight!

Suddenly Eddie's sexuality is a question. Is Eddie straight? Why is that important to Buck? What would happen if he wasn't? Fandom has been asking these questions since day one and we've already got more than a few answers of our own. But now Eddie's sexuality is being made salient by the narrative. And we're being told, Buck is not in love with his straight best friend.

So, hypothetically: Eddie comes out as Not Straight. This is no longer a wildly convenient coincidence. It's a complication. (Audiences love complications). Because now Buck has to answer the question that we've just established he does not want to answer. Are you in love with your best friend?

They can also reverse the order. Have Buck answer that question and move on to What Now? In this case, Eddie coming out is now a resolution. (Audiences also love resolutions). I think this is the less interesting path but it's also possible.

Usually when I dissect narratives like this I think in terms of "what I would have done." This is not what I would have done. This is better than what I would have done, because I've never had to convince my audience that People Can Be Queer, Actually, Yes Even Him. I would not have thought to structure it this way. I didn't think to structure it this way, and I've given a lot of thought to how I would hypothetically structure a getting together arc that would be convincing to a mainstream audience. I've been thinking that the only options for Eddie coming out are either Buck is supportive and excited for him as a friend, or Buck is painfully hopeful because he's been pining. Way, way better: Eddie comes out and Buck, who's been insisting for months that just because he's queer doesn't mean he's in love with his best friend, immediately realises he's in love with his best friend. And spirals.

The kind of posts I have seen on here since the last episode aired (and let’s be honest for a LONG while now) make wonder why some people still watch this show.

Like, if you hate the characters so much and every storyline that is being written, why bother watching? If it makes you so miserable, what’s the point?

There are so many fucked up things happening in this world, life is way too short to have a 60 minute procedural tv show make you feel so many negative emotions. It’s okay not to watch anymore if it no longer brings you joy.

..... I don't have to want to sleep with everyone i have feeling for...... BUCK, DID YOU JUST ACCIDENTALLY ADMIT SOMETHING?

WHERE IS SHE?

WHERE DID THEY TOOK HER?

One thing I hope they write/have written into the show is Buck getting a bunch of tattoos as another coping mechanism he uses to deal with Eddie leaving. It's a realistic coping mechanism that also, in a way, doubles as a form of self-harm that isn't just him reverting back to being Buck 1.0 in Eddie's absence. Plus, tattoos are hot imo, and I want to see Eddie's reaction to them once he comes back to LA lol.

Also, Oliver has a bunch of tattoos already that they've had to put so much effort into covering up that it would just make the makeup and costuming department's job way easier if they write it in.